I lurk here at OT.com from time to time but rarely post. Anyway, when I saw this thread, my first thought was simply "the prequels are terrible". Then I thought about it and realized that I haven't actually *watched* the prequels in probably around seven years. So I've gone ahead and started rewatching them, all from the official Blu-rays, starting with TPM.
Something that surprised me was that there were actually moments when TPM seemed half-decent. Unfortunately, it would never be very long before something happened that made me cringe/facepalm.
Anyway, on to what I actually liked, since that's what this thread is supposed to be about:
Liam Neeson. I thought he was perfect as Qui-Gon Jinn, and his character seemed like the kind of experienced Jedi I'd expect to see. Qui-Gon seems like the kind of person who would be a great mentor, and I feel like he has a lot of personality.
Ian McDiarmid. I thought his performance was great, despite working with poor material. He does a great job of portraying a slimy, manipulative bastard, perfect for his character here.
The visual designs of various locations, specifically Theed City, Gunga City, and Coruscant. A lot of effort was obviously put into the design of these places, and I think it really paid off. They look fantastical and alien, and certainly not out-of-place in a Star Wars movie.
The duel with Darth Maul. This was very well-choreographed and seemed pretty believable for the most part. The part with the force fields was an especially nice touch, and I liked how Qui-Gon reacted to being cut off from his enemy by just calmly sitting down. That's exactly the way I would expect to see a well-trained Jedi react.
The scene where the droids come out of the vehicles, activate, and march on the Gungans. Seems like an efficient way of transporting battle droids, and like something an evil force might actually do.
The soundtrack. As usual, John Williams did a great job here. One of the tracks that particularly stands out in my mind is "Duel of the Fates", which is absolutely perfect for the Darth Maul fight. It builds tension and adds a sense of grandeur to the scene. Another one is the Naboo victory song, which I can't seem to get out of my head.
Watto. I can't say I'm a big fan of Watto or anything, but I feel like he's worth mentioning as a CGI character who actually works. The CGI isn't in-your-face, and his personality seems perfectly in-place. To put it simply, I think CGI characters who could just as easily be human are the best kind, because they blend in naturally with the scene rather than sticking out like a sore thumb.
Next up, AOTC. Expect a report tomorrow after I watch it.
